STATE COLLEGE — The State College Area School District Board of Directors in a meeting on Monday, Sept. 30, unanimously agreed to hire Dr. Terri Erbacher to conduct an external review of SCASD’s response to the suicide of a Park Forest Middle School student in May of this year. The review will also provide an evaluation of mental health services provided by the district.
During Erbacher’s review, she will investigate policies and procedures surrounding suicide prevention, mental health screenings and assessments, intervention practices and postvention, according to a press release from SCASD.
Erbacher is a certified school psychologist at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit and was a psychology faculty member at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, in addition to working at her own private practice.
“In evaluating Erbacher, the district found her knowledge and scholarship in the area of suicidology especially compelling,” a statement from SCASD shared, explaining their decision to select Erbacher.
“The lead author of the textbook ‘Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner’s Guide to Multi-level Prevention, Assessment, Intervention and Postvention,’ she is a nationally known author, distinguished speaker, consultant and guest expert in the media, as well as a former Pennsylvania School Psychologist of the Year.
“Her expertise focuses on crisis management, trauma and PTSD, school mental health, threat assessment in schools, suicide prevention and risk assessment and complicated grief/loss. She has received multiple awards for her service to the community, including those from the Survivors of Suicide, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Delaware County Intermediate Unit.”
The district first recommended Erbacher on Monday, Sept. 23. After the school board’s unanimous decision to hire her, her review will begin with conducting interviews with administrators, teachers, faulty, students (with the permission of their parents) and parents.
Once the review is completed, Erbacher will provide a written summary of findings and a presentation to SCASD for their consideration.
Following the death of 14-year-old Abby Smith, SCASD investigated reports of rumors of bullying in connection to the suicide.
On Monday, Aug. 19, the parents of Abby, along with 40 of their friends and community members, attended a school board meeting where support for an external review was vocalized in addition to the internal debrief already being conducted at that time.
